Comments on: Vegan Thanksgiving Options

By: Lane

Lane — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 04:37:42 +0000

Hey Christina,
I’m so happy it worked out for you. Jane was stressing that we suggested an option that might be awful.
I agree about the rice stuffing… Sounds unappealing to me too.

By: Christina

Christina — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:54:36 +0000

OK. So, we made two Vegetarian Plus VEGAN Whole Turkeys, and they were FANTASTIC!

I will definitely make these again next year instead of Tofurky. They can be thinly sliced, and the flavor & texture were great.

We had more than 20 people over for a vegan potluck (not everyone was Veg), and everyone loved it! It was almost all gone at the end of the party, and we had a crazy amount of food!

However, I wasn’t a fan of the stuffing that came with it, so next year I will make my own stuffing to put inside. The stuffing was kind of flavorless, and unexciting… I mean, come on? Who wants stuffing made of rice? I didn’t really care for the fake ham chunks in it either. They were tuff & chewy. Maybe it’s just me, but I think stuffing should have bread, celery, & mushrooms in it.

I roasted the the VEGAN Whole Turkeys together at a 400F for 2 1/2 hours. I also surrounded the “Turkey” with carrots, celery, onions, two different kinds of sweet potatoes, salt/pepper & fresh herbs. Then I poured a whole container of Pacific Foods vegetable broth over the veggies in each pot to make sure they came out moist. (All this accounts for the added time & temperature.)

Next year, I will do it a little differently. I think I will still make two of them… provided we have this big of a party again. (Side note: One would have been sufficient for twenty ppl with all the different side dishes, but I’m glad I have left overs.) However, I think I’ll roast them together in the same large pan, and put fewer veggies around them, and less broth. I’m also going to make my own stuffing.

If you really like a good mock meat, I would highly recommend this product!

HAPPY EATING EVERYONE!

By: Lane

Lane — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 05:30:51 +0000

Hi Christina,
Just wondering how your party went. Hope it worked out okay….

By: Christina

Christina — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:34:52 +0000

BTW… if anyone has made this with success I’d REALLY appreciate you posting a comment with an explanation of how it was prepared!

By: Christina

Christina — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:22:11 +0000

Hi Lane,

Thanks for the info. I saw that part on the vendors response, so I’m hoping that’s all it was… Kind of like when my Mom told me that Tofurkey is disgusting (She made it with my sister one year, but didn’t bother basting it, or cooking it with broth), but really if you know how to prepare it, then it comes out great. I guess after my party this Saturday, I’ll come back, and right my own review.

By: Lane

Lane — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 07:15:59 +0000

Hi Christina,
That Wall Street Journal article also said they contacted the vendor and they said they’d never had any complaints of that nature. They suggested that it may have been improperly refrigerated prior to being prepared.
We haven’t tried it ourselves, having just seen it in the store last week. Hopefully it will work out fine for you!

By: Christina

Christina — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:13:22 +0000

OK. So I bought the Vegan version of this from Whole Foods… and now, after reading some bad reviews online, I’m afraid to try it at our Thanksgiving Party this weekend. Has anyone tried the Vegetarian Plus VEGAN Whole Turkey? Does it emit a foul odor like the review I read states?

By: Lane

Lane — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:05:12 +0000

Hi quarrygirl,
Glad to be of help. Hopefully, if you did pick one up, you got one that reads “Vegan.” Jane noticed that on her trip today. (I hope that’s not too late!!!)

Hi Barry,
Agreed, the best parts of the feast are the sides. But a lot of people “need” their thing to carve… so here’s another option.

Hi Tofu Mom,
Yeah, we had no idea either. We wouldn’t buy it (price more than appearance), but if it works to get some people to eschew the bird… Personally, I’m looking forward to my Tofurky.

Hi Gary,
I agree, more vegan options are great. You’re not the only one who finds the shape creepy. Actually, I find it somewhat humorous, and if it weren’t so expensive, we probably would have tried it. But I can understand how it would bother people. I look at it this way, you can still have the drumstick, without killing the bird!

By: Gary

Gary — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 07:47:41 +0000

I’m all for more vegan main dish options that may appeal to the masses, and if people who ordinarily might not forego turkey buy this product and it saves turkeys, right on. But the fact that it looks so much like the killed bird is creepy to me.

By: Tofu Mom

Tofu Mom — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 03:31:09 +0000

Wow. Just… wow. Not having access to a Whole Foods, I had no idea there was such a thing…

I really love mock meats. An unhealthy amount, in fact, but this just skeeves me out for some reason… looks way oo real. And I never thought I’d say that!!